Trouble on the Horizon
by Mad Dog Matteson
Summary: The famous Super Smash Bros. circuit is hit by tragedy as a ninja named Matthias leads a group to face an oncoming army. Rating changed due to Chapter 3.
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Smasher City, and the streets were packed and bustling as usual.

'Such a nuisance.' thought Matthias. He was walking with his girlfriend Sara as she went from shop to shop along the strip. He didn't care for throngs of people around him, with the exception of the thousands of screaming fans at the Stadium. The only reason Sara had talked the ninja into coming with her while she shopped was the fact that he needed to have his uniform mended, and he needed to pick up some supplies. That, along with the fact that he could never tell her no, a fact Sara used to her advantage quite often.

The crowd gave him room as he walked, instantly recognizing his loose black clothing and red staff, the legendary Spirit Staff and his birthright. As he walked past, people turned around and saw the red design on his back that matched the birthmark on his chest, the Greek letter Omega encircling the Ki symbol for Fire.

Sara watched in the windows of the stores as they walked by, not at the merchandise being offered, but at their reflection. She thought it funny; here she was about a head shorter than him, and with a slender build in contrast to his broad shoulders and large frame. Even their clothing was different. She wore a blue jacket, jeans, and white sneakers; he wore all black, even the cloth over his mouth. Her hair was blonde and kept back in a ponytail; his was black, short, and unkempt.

She pulled at his hand as they walked towards a book store, and he nodded as they approached. When they walked inside, he could sense people crowd around the doors to watch him. He grew uncomfortable as he followed Sara to the fiction section and from there to the Sci-Fi. As she knelt down to check out what books were in stock, he bent down after her.

"Love, I'm gonna cut out to get some air. Too many people around here." as he said this, he saw a few more people walk into their isle and stare at them.

"Okay, I guess I can meet up with you at the Stadium after today's fights." she told him as she pulled a small group of books off of the shelf.

"Here." Matthias said as he handed her a small pouch of dark powder. "Smoke powder. In case they try to mob you after I'm gone."

After getting up, he walked to the front counter and asked the cashier for the location of the back door, and as he walked back, the crowd outside walked in and started to follow after him. He picked up his walking pace and turned down another isle towards the door.

As he left the building, he quickly shut the door and looked around at his surroundings. The building he had just left was three stories tall, and there was a dumpster up against a wall nearby. Next to the dumpster, a bum was sleeping under some newspaper. The noise of the commotion stirred him awake, and the sight of the dark ninja with he red staff gave him a drunken shock.

Matthias broke into a sprint towards the dumpster, simultaneously slipping a climbing claw onto his left hand, and jumped enough to get a foot on the lid, then launched himself up onto the wall. He then pushed off and slammed his claw into the brick and mortar of the bookstore's second story wall. Hoisting himself, he launched upwards and landed gracefully on the roof.

Looking around, he found the shop he was looking for across the street. Assessing the distance from his roof to one across from him, he closed his eyes and focused on his energy. He pulled it into him, and moved it into his legs, aiding the strength in his muscles and lifting him a bit. Opening his eyes, he bolted for the edge of the building and launched high into the air, coming down on the other side. People shouted after him as they saw him cross over.

When he landed, he ran over a few buildings and then ducked down, to throw off the crowd that would chase him, and then while crawling to hide, he doubled back to the store he wanted. Dropping down behind the store, he walked in the back door and signalled to the manager that he was there.

The manager nodded and motioned for Matthias to follow him as he walked through a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY. Together, they made their way down a hallway and into an unmarked room, a store specifically for the Smashers, or celebrity fighters in the Super Smash Bros. competition, and hidden from the general public. Inside, the walls were lined with weapons, tools, potions, powders, and anything else a warrior could want. The ninja's deep brown eyes seemed to brighten like those of a young child in a candy shop.

Walking over to a curtain, he stepped behind it and began to undress. First, he placed the Spirit Staff against the wall pulled off his gloves, the fingers of the index and middle fingers removed. Next, he took off his black headband, then his vest. After that came his shirt and turtle neck that covered the lower half of his face. He paused for a moment, looking down at his birthmark, and the horrible scars that crisscrossed his body. He had matching scars on his back, and only one person knew why they were there. After he had completely undressed, he wrapped in a towel and pulled back the curtain.

He walked out and handed his uniform to the manager, and pointed to the tears and rips he needed fixing. The manager nodded and took the clothing into yet another room. Not a word was given on Matthias' part. He preferred not to speak unless it was absolutely required.

As Matthias stood alone, he studied the display cases. He looked at the descriptions of powders, and took a mental note of a few. He then moved on and looked at a case of throwing stars. After that, he looked at a display of magic items and jewels. Magic. How he hated that word. There was no such thing as magic. Instead, some items had qualities that allowed them to manipulate Ki differently, just as he did on his own with the Spirit Staff.

Before long, his clothing was returned to him and he went into the changing room again. When he emerged, he saw a woman with flowing blonde hair wearing a large red bionic suit be led into the room. On her right arm was a small energy blaster, and held in her left hand was her space helmet. She was the galactic bounty hunter Samus Aran.

"Getting ready for the fight later on?" she asked Matthias. He just nodded. "I think you're up in a boss fight just after my fight with Donkey Kong." she gave a pause to see if he'd say anything, but she just got another nod.

As Samus went over the modifications she wanted made to her Power Suit, Matthew walked up to the worker who had led him in. He pointed over to the display case with powders, and from there he pointed to which ones he wanted.

"Alright, put these on your account, Master Park?" once again, just a nod. Matthias felt the only person who warranted an extended response was Sara. "Okay, they'll be waiting for you at the Stadium."


	2. Chapter 2

A helicopter flew overhead as thousands of screaming fans poured into the Stadium. The stands were high, and surrounded an enormous platform hovering over a pit. The platform was called the Arena, and that was where battles in the Stadium were fought. Using technology involving nanobots, the Arena could change its shape and form to create new battlefields for each contest.

"Ladies and Gentlemen..." an announcers voice boomed throughout the Stadium. "Welcome to the Super Smash Brothers competition...Today's matches... Fox McCloud versus Kyros Lani... Samus Aran versus Donkey Kong... And a special treat... A boss battle... Your two favorite Smashers... Link of Hyrule and Matthias Park versus Volvagia!"

At the announcement of the final battle of the day, the crowd's screaming enhanced. Matthias and Link were inarguably the most powerful and most popular of the Smashers. It would be interesting to see how this fight would turn out; not only had the two never teamed up before, but despite the friendship they shared in everyday life, they were hated enemies in the Arena.

Cameras flew about the Arena, projecting images onto large screens situated throughout the Stadium. Far below, ready to walk out over a platform onto the Arena, the Smashers were preparing for battle.

Fox McLoud was tying a red sash around his neck, and a blue birdman by the name of Falco Lombardi was giving him advice on the upcoming battle. Fox took a moment to configure his blaster pistol, and put it back in his holster. He stood up and straightened his tan flight jacket and brushed at his green trousers. His white pilot boots came up almost to his knee.

After he was ready, he walked out of the small room and into view of the fans. Cheers erupted, and he sprinted to the retractable platform that allowed access to the Arena. When he was in the area that he wanted, he stopped dead in his tracks and squatted down. Flames encircled him, and he exploded upwards into the air about ten feet, the fire trailing behind him.

Kyros Lani, the blind warrior mage, was the next to emerge. He had been sitting and sharpening his blades, dual six foot broad swords. The fact that he was blind seemed to be shown with pride, he wore a blindfold of a faded red color. But the blindfold was there to hide a silver scar left there from the burn that had cost him his sight. He had a tall and slender frame characteristic of the Elven race. He was wearing the same clothing he always wore, a black shirt with both his pants and trench coat a dark violet blue. On his hands he wore black fingerless gloves and about his waist two belts, one loose and one tight. His lavender-white hair fell loosely about his shoulders.

Slowly, he walked out to the platform and crossed to the Arena. Even without sight he could see, guided by the magic he wielded. When he stood across from Fox, he gave a short weapons display and stood ready.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... The first fight for today... The galactic mercenary... Fox McLoud... Versus the blind warrior... Kyros Lani... Bets for this fight are now final... 3... 2... 1... Fight!"

As the sounds of battle ensued, the next fighters were getting ready. Donkey Kong, a giant gorilla wearing a red tie, was eating bananas. Samus Aran was in another area, calibrating her weapons systems. Since she was fighting an opponent who was only capable of close-quarter combat, she decided to even the odds and had the blaster arm of her Chozo Suit removed and had a spiked ball put in it's place.

In another area, Matthias Park and Link were going over a strategy for defeating their challenge. Link had faced the fire dragon Volvagia before, but this would be under different circumstances, and certainly the copy they would fight would prove to be a harder battle, especially since they were two legendary fighters, the best Super Smash Brothers had to offer.

After a few moments, the announcer's voice boomed across the Stadium again, announcing the winner of the fight. Moments later, Kyros walked into the room, his clothing torn and his blindfold gone, but still victorious. Samus and Donkey Kong knew that they were up next, and readied themselves for battle.

Once they were gone, a man walked up to Matthias carrying a small box. He gave the parcel to the ninja, who accepted it and bowed wordlessly.

"What's that?" asked Link. Matthias knelt down and undid the clasps on the box. He opened it and pulled out two small pouches containing special powders he thought would be useful for this battle. He stood back up and held the pouches by the drawstrings.

"Dragonsbane, poisonous to dragons. Powdered root of the Fire Herb, when covered you are partially protected from even the strongest of flames." Matthias answered.

"The Dragonsbane will be very useful here, but I don't think we'll need the powdered root, however. You can control fire, and the red tunic I have on is already heat resistant." the Hylean noted.

Matthias took the pouch anyway. The tunic Link wore only covered part of his body, while his limbs were only protected by white tights, and his hands by leather gauntlets with gold plating. He wore a red sock cap that covered his long blonde hair. His eyes were blue, and despite his age, they reflected the soul of a battle-hardened hero.

After he tied the pouch onto his belt, Matthias took a spot by the wall and sat down cross-legged. He placed the Spirit Staff across his lap and closed his eyes. Taking in a deep breath through his nose, he exhaled it slowly through his mouth. He closed his eyes, and focused on his Ki. After a moment, he saw the red cloud dancing about him, and he watched it as it aimlessly swirl about him.

He took a moment to get a hold of the energy, then he maneuvered it into his body and muscles, aiding in his strength and stamina. He then pulled it onto his skin for protection, a sort of invisible armor. Invisible, but formidable.

He did this for several minutes, then the energy stirred slightly, and his eyes opened just as Link was about to put a hand on his shoulder to wake him. Link gave a pause, and took a step back as the ninja rose to his feet.

"The fight's over, time for us to go." Link said.

Matthias nodded, and the two walked side by side to the arena. As they exited the room, they saw Samus and Donkey Kong being given medical aid. Judging from the wounds and injuries, it was hard to say who had won the fight.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... the final battle of the day... a duo that has never been seen here before... the Hero of Time... Link of Hyrule... and the Ninjutsu Master... Matthias Park!"

Once their names had been announced, Link took a step back with his left foot and brought his right arm around his body. He then stepped forward and hit the ground with his left fist, causing a spell called Din's Fire. A dome of flames engulfed the two fighters, and Matthias whirled the Spirit Staff, causing the flames to jump out in flares. Once the fire had gone, the crowd went insane.

"And their opponent... the guardian of the Fire Temple in Hyrule... the Fire Dragon... Volvagia!"

Matthias and Link braced themselves as the felt the Arena shift, and it changed from forest scene that had been used for Samus and Donkey Kong to a castle courtyard setting. The floor changed from loose earth and leaves to hard brimstone. The trees melted to the ground and in their place parapets rose into the sky. Damage had already been done to the castle, stones were knocked loose and lay strewn about, and small fires were burning away at what seemed to have been counter-siege weapons.

A brief silence echoed without interruption, when suddenly a piercing shriek ensued, followed by an explosion of stone as an enormous red dragon exploded out of the heart of the castle. It kept trailing upward through the wreckage, being added onto by nanobots that were hidden by the walls of the stone structure. It snaked it's way through the air, it's body and neck were about the girth of hut, and the length seemed to never end.

Link took a step back in wonder and amazement, this was a hundred fold larger than the Volvagia he had fought in the Fire Temple back in Hyrule. Matthias stood firm, but allowed himself to speak.

"It seems you have been modest in the tales of your adventures." he said, obviously impressed that the other had bested a creature of such prowess.

After it had snaked its way up and out, it began flying in figure eights in the air above them. The Arena slowly raised high into the air, to protect the Stadium and it's occupants from any damage that might unwittingly befall them. As the Arena rose into the sky, Matthias took a battle stance, and Link unsheathed his legendary weapon, the Master Sword, and held his shield ready. One thing that set Link aside from any of the other Smashers was the fact that he was left-handed.

From far below, they could still hear the announcer as he counted down.

"3... 2... 1... Fight!"

Immediately, Matthias bolted for a part of the wall that would be high enough to reach the dragon. Link ran to the side, and he tried to see who the dragon had shifted its attention to. Sure enough, it was going after Matthias, the closer and more immediate threat.

As Matthias ran, he pulled a grappling hook off of his belt and swung it above his head. As he got closer to the wall, he ran to the side of it and watched overhead as Volvagia flew closer to the ground. Already, the Ninja could feel the heat radiating off of the fire dragon. After passing the wall, he doubled back and leaped up. Kicking off of the wall, he launched the hook and latched it onto one of the horns growing out of Volvagia's head.

Watching from a safe distance, Link took his position among some large rubble that would provide him a safe hiding spot. He sheathed the Master Sword and laid his shield on the ground next to him. He pulled a short bow off of his shoulder and grabbed a bundle of arrows from his quiver. After jamming their tips into the ground next to him for easier access, he picked three up and notched them simultaneously to his bow string.

He watched as Matthias swung up onto the dragon's head and clubbed it's forehead with his Staff. He whispered a word of magic to his arrows, and the tips began to glow a faint blue. Taking aim, he waited for Matthias to use his strikes and influence Volvagia to face him, and let fly with the Ice Arrows. His aim was true, and the three arrows struck their mark on the left eye, freezing it.

Bringing the Spirit Staff down again, Matthias shattered the ice (and the frozen portion of the eye along with it) and pulled a small dagger from a sheath on his leg. He jumped down from the crown of the head and straddled the bridge of the nose, then made a lunge to lean over within reach of the injured eye. He jammed the dagger in and twisted, blood spraying out of the wound.

The power of the spray was almost enough to knock the ninja from where he sat, so he dropped down and grabbed onto his grappling hook below. As he hung on, Volvagia swung it's head to shake him off, but instead Matthias used this motion to swing himself back on. He dislodged his hook and turned to run towards the midsection of the body.

Link saw what Matthias was doing, and left his bow and arrows behind as he ran from his cover. Dodging rocks and other fallen rubble, he darted his way towards the giant beast. When he was close enough, he pulled a spring-loaded chain hook and fired it into the horns of the dragon. The hook punched a hole in the bone of a horn, and held fast.

As the chain retracted and pulled Link in, he held the Master Sword behind him, trailing it through the air. After a moment, it gathered in energy from the air and began to glow a faint orange. The glow grew stronger and then changed to blue. When Link came within range of the beast, he released the power. In midair he spun, the energy rushing out of the blade in a circular wave, smashing into the bone of the horn, shattering it.

Still flying over Volvagia with his earlier momentum, Link turned and fired his grapple again. This time, the chain launched over the mouth. The shot would have been a horrible miss, but in a painful rage, Volvagia thrashed its head into the chain, causing it to loop around its snout. Link reeled in again, but using its powerful jaws, the fire dragon snapped the chain, sending links and bits of metal flying. The Hylean tumbled through the air for a moment until Volvagia snapped its mighty jaws about him, and gulped him down.

After neutralizing this threat, Volvagia then turned to face the other. Even through the thick-armored scales, it could feel the ninja running down the length of its body. It lifted its head and whipped it down, sending a wave down its snakelike body, and Matthias jumped into the air to avoid being thrown by it. As the hump came at him, Matthias landed easily on the apex and ran down the side. Reaching for his hook again, he swung it in a circle to his side.

As Volvagia turned to face him, Matthias launched off the opposite side of the body and threw his hook over. It went over and hooked under a group of scales, and Matthias swung underneath. Brandishing the Spirit Staff as a knight would a spear, he swung under the soft belly and jammed it into the exposed flesh. Jerking to a halt, Matthias let go of the rope and focused on the Staff. He channeled his energy down through it's length and into the dragon's body.

In his peripheral vision, the ninja saw Volvagia's face come at him, and barely had time to grab the pouch of Fire Herb root and toss it into the air before him. The rush of flames that came at him sent the powder flying back in his direction, coating him in its protective cloud. The flames did no damage to either ninja nor dragon, as Matthias had just been coated by the powder and Volvagia had a natural defense to its own weapon.

Matthias took advantage of the confusion caused to the dragon as to why he hadn't been burned to a crisp and remade his plan. Changing the form of his energy, the Spirit Staff changed from it's red glow to yellow, and the Essence of Thunder showed it's destructive force as a hole about three feet across was blown out, blood draining out and onto the ninja as he fell to the ground below.

The Staff changed again from yellow to gray as Matthias used the power of wind to slow his decent to the ground, and then again to leap back up. Even through the dark clothing, the bright glow of his birthmark could be seen clearly. Rising back up, the ninja readied the second pouch, Dragonsbane. When he was within range, Volvagia fell right into his trap. Snapping the huge jaws to swallow him just as the dragon had Link, Matthias threw his pouch just at the last possible moment.

Volvagia reared it's giant head back as the Dragonsbane burned at the flesh inside it's mouth. Just as it released a roar of pain that shook the arena below, a wave of energy ripped the flesh of its side open and Link leaped out. He fell below and braced himself for impact, but then felt something wrap about him. Matthias had seen him fall and shifted his body to direct his fall towards his teammate.

He gathered his energy into his body, bracing it and strengthening it. When the landing came, he shoved Link upwards, not enough to actually send him up but enough to soften his fall enough as to not injure him. Matthias, however, was a different story.

As the Arena reverted to what it was before the battle and lowered back into the Stadium, the announcer's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen... The winners for this fight... Matthias Park... And Link of Hyrule!"

After that announcement, the Stadium went wild with cheers. Then the image on the large screens shifted as the cameras went in for a close-up on the winners. The crowd fell silent as they saw Link get up and frantically run for medical staff as Matthias lay unconscious. The Spirit Staff had ceased its glow and now looked like an ordinary bo.

"Ladies and gentlemen... We have an injury on the field... Matthias Park is unconscious... Link of Hyrule wins the fight! Matthias Park is disqualified!"

After this announcement, parts of the Stadium cheered, while most of the crowd stayed silent, wondering of the fate of the ninja. As medical staff rushed out to Matthias with a stretcher, Sara was already being escorted down. When she reached his level, she was met by Link, who held her as she tried to break past him. He held her in place, which wasn't easy due to the fact that he was holding onto the Spirit Staff.

"Let them do their work, Sara. You can visit him later." he tried to reassure her. "Besides, Matthias is a strong warrior, he can pull through. Trust me, I've had to fight him."

Sara stopped her struggling and fell to her knees. Link knelt down to comfort her, and handed her the weapon. He knew that Matthias would want her to guard the weapon in his absence.


	3. Chapter 3

A nurse took a quick look at a chart at the foot of Matthias' bed to check on the treatment to be given. She stuck a syringe into a bottle of medicine and then administered it into his arm. He was still asleep, and would be for a while.

She looked up as she heard the door to the room open, and watched as Link, Kyros, and Sara walked in. Sara had the Spirit Staff, as Matthias would want her to hold on to it for safe keeping. Even though only he had the ability to unlock its power, many still sought to steal the weapon from him.

"How is he?" Sara asked as the nurse was heading out.

"Well, the impact of the landing shattered most of his bones, and to deal with the pain he's in a chemical-induced coma."

Slowly and with a worried look, Sara placed the Staff against the wall and knelt down next to the ninja's bed. Taking his hand, she absently began to stroke it as Link and Kyros stood over him. The two fighters knew that the ninja had enemies, and not only came to visit their friend and give support, but to offer protection while he was incapacitated.

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Matthias tried to blend into the shadows as he navigated the hallways of Heaven's Spire. He hid perfectly, slipping right past the creatures of darkness that Shayde employed to guard him. Everything worked perfectly, no hitches. But it was just a little to easy, even for the Wielder of the Spirit Staff.

For some reason, Matthias knew exactly where he was going. He didn't know why, but he wandered through the stone halls with a purpose. He gave a start as he came face to face with a brick wall. He turned around and saw his path back was barred. A quick look at his surroundings showed that he was in a cell.

'No!' he thought, 'Not here! Not again!'

Past the bars, he could see Xanthen and Gim, two Goblin followers of Shayde, the Dark Ninja. They stood next to a table with a cloth over it, and Xanthen grinned as he pulled the sheet back with a shriveled claw. On the table was a large man, a warrior that Matthias recognized, his half-brother Maximus.

"No! You can't!" Matthias cried as he brought up the Spirit Staff to break the bars of his cell, but the weapon shattered into splinters.

Panicking, Matthias staggered back and fell against the wall. Gim pulled a spiral screw instrument off of the table and then look at Maximus. Matthias shook his head and broke down as the screams began.

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In the medical wing of the Smasher's training area, Link, Sara, and Kyros sat around Matthias' bed. Link and Kyros kept a watch on his vitals, Sara sat perfectly still, her gaze never leaving his face as she held his hand.

"I'm going to get something to eat." Kyros said as he stood. He had been a friend and ally of Matthias since the two had been invited to the competition. Even then, Kyros knew that the ninja would be strong of both body and heart. Even then he had been quiet, obviously scarred by something that had happened in his past.

Link then stood as well, and started to follow the blind elf out, but then turned back to Sara. He put a hand on her shoulder, assuring her once more. She nodded back to him, and he left.

A tear fell as she looked at Matthias. She had seen him brave impossible dangers before, and every time he pulled through, even once through death itself. But still she worried; he had never been unconscious like this before. There was no response from him at all. Always before, he had found a way to reach her, some way to tell her that everything would be okay.

She squeezed his hand and put her forehead on his chest. Through the tears, she could hear his heartbeat. It was steady at first, almost like they were back at their home. But slowly it started to speed up. Faster and faster it beat, and she could feel his muscles tense up. She looked up at his face and saw beads of sweat form.

"Nurse! Help!" Sara screamed as the machines marking his vitals and keeping him alive went berserk.

Immediately a nurse rushed into the room, followed by Link and Kyros. The former took a quick glance at the equipment, the latter two stayed back and out of her way.

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"No!" Matthias screamed from his dreams, "No! Not again! NO!" he arched his back and tensed up, as if he were being tortured.

Kyros rushed forward and pushed the nurse out of the way. He stood at the foot of Matthias bed and leaped onto him, straddling his chest. He lay forward and pulled his blindfold off. He then placed his hands on either side of the ninja's head. Instantly, Matthias' eyes opened wide in terror, and Kyros opened his, the creamy silver-green peering into Matthias' very soul.

"If you think that this is terrible," Xanthen whispered into Matthias' ear as he twisted the screw straight through the arch of his foot, "then you have no idea."

Another scream came as Gim played with the screw, nudging it back and forth, then violently unscrewed it. Blood sprayed out and onto the floor.

"They are coming..." Xanthen said as he dug a spike into a pressure point on his arm. "They are coming and you are powerless to stop them..."

Matthias gave a tensed scream, feeling too much pain to make much noise. Suddenly, from nowhere and inside his mind, he could hear a familiar voice.

_"Have no fears, Matthias, this is only a dream..."_

He screamed again as Gim took a small knife and danced it over his torso.

_"The pain is imagined, a shadow of the past. You need not fear it."_

"Oh, but there will be much more to fear before long." replied Xanthen. "They are coming for you and your allies. They will not stop until all of you are destroyed."

Then other images came to Matthias as the torture continued. The first, he saw Link's body placed on a pedestal in front of a floating mask. The mask had a purple color to it, with tribal designs. Tentacles appeared out from behind it, and they lowered to Link's body.

The second image came, and he saw Cloud Strife on his knees, blood soaked from battle. He looked up as a warrior in a long black coat and silver hair came down at him with a six-foot katana.

The third one showed Samus, locked in combat with a pterodactyl-like creature. She took a hit that blew off a piece of her armor and staggered. The beast grabbed her in it's talons and began to pull her apart.

In the fourth, he saw his ally Remy LeBeau in battle in a swamp. He was whirling his staff to block and parry every attack possible from a man in red wielding a European rapier. Finally the defense fell, and Gambit's weapon was disarmed. He put his hands up, at his opponent's mercy.

A fifth vision yielded Kyros fighting an imagined foe, and then a figure appeared in the shadows. He raised his hand, palm towards the blind elf, and blood sprayed as a hole was ripped out of his throat.

The sixth and final vision showed Matthias in battle with the dark ninja, Shayde. He wore the same clothing as Matthias, but gray, and his long gray hair was in a ponytail. He hit Matthias with a blast of purple energy and sent him careening into the wall. Then Shayde advanced on Sara, and Matthias dove for her as two spiked walls closed in on them both.

Suddenly, the pain stopped, and Matthias was alone in the darkness, holding his knees to his chest. He rocked back and forth, feeling weak and alone. Everything had been lost to him, it felt. Even the Gods of Olympus were no longer with him. But then there was a hand on his shoulder, and he felt renewed strength. The next thing he knew, he was in his battle uniform, and Kyros was with him.

The mage nodded solemnly to him, and Matthias looked at the two goblins with a wicked grin. He rushed forward, a katana suddenly in his hands. With a powerful arc he cut Xanthen directly in half at the waist, dark blood spraying everywhere. Gim came forward to avenge his brother, but Matthias ducked under the gnarled claw that came at his face. As he spun under, he ran the tip of the katana through Gim's side, having it protrude from the rib cage on the opposite side.

As the memories of the two Goblins faded away into nothingness, Kyros gripped Matthias on the shoulder and held the Spirit Staff forward for him to take. The ninja smiled behind his face cover, and the vision was gone.

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As Matthias' struggles subsided in the material world, Kyros sat up and took his blindfold from Link. Once the cloth was in place, he dismounted the bed and put a hand on Sara's shoulder. She fought back the tears and looked at him.

"He will be fine. Someone or something was haunting him with memories long gone. But for now, he needs his rest, as do you." said Kyros as he ushered Sara out of the room. Slowly, she looked back and walked away, already planning on visiting him the next day. As Link began to leave, Kyros stopped him.

"There is something I must discuss with you, Hylean. There was something else that I saw, and if the vision is to pass, then we must prepare."

"What was the vision?" asked Link, puzzled and worried.

"Apparently, we are all in terrible danger."


	4. Chapter 4

"Alright Kyros, you got me here so it better be good." said a warrior with spiky blonde hair. He wore a purple military uniform and had armor on his right shoulder. Behind his back he held a large buster sword, as tall as the warrior himself.

"The reason is legitimate, Cloud." Replied the warrior mage. He had asked the Smashers involved in Matthias' visions to meet with him in a cafeteria near the training area. "The reason for our meeting is because I have disturbing news."

"Is Matthias okay?" asked Samus. She was wearing her red suit, the gun returned to her arm.

"The ninja is fine. For now. But it does concern him." The mage began, taking a deep breath. "While Link, Sara, and myself were visiting him, someone was attacking his mind. I broke in to help him, and visions were shown to us of a danger that we face in the future. These visions showed us in combat, and each of us meeting our end.

"I propose the first course of action would be determining and making known the adversary who defeats us, then working as a team to put an end to these visions before they even begin. I will describe to each of you the battle that was fought, and from there we will formulate a plan."

"Well a'right, den, Let's get dis started,." said a man wearing a long, brown trench coat. He wore black fingerless gloves and knee-high silver boots. His hair was brown and unkempt, kept upright by a headdress he wore exposing his face and top of his head. But it was his eyes that set him apart from the other Smashers; they were red with black irises. That had always separated him from others. He was Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit.

"Fine. If patience is not known to you, I will begin. The first vision showed Link." Kyros said, gesturing to the Hylean. "You were lying still on an altar, and above you a purple tribal mask lowered tentacles down to your body."

"That was Majora's Mask." the Hylean replied, puzzled. "But I destroyed it years ago in Termina…"

"The second vision," Kyros continued as he turned to face the one with blonde hair. "Was of you Cloud. You were on your knees being executed by a man with silver hair and a long sword."

"Sephiroth… so he's back…" Cloud trailed off. "I killed him when he tried to summon a force to destroy the planet."

"What was the third vision?" asked Samus.

"You." Kyros replied. "You were in battle with a lizard-like creature and it latched onto your armor and started to pull you limb from limb."

"I killed Ridley along with his brother Kraid, and the Space Pirate's Mother Brain back on Zebes."

"The fifth vision showed the Cajun fighting a duel in a swamp. His opponent wore a red form-fitting suit and a hooded mask, and he wielded a rapier."

"But Julien's dead, mon ami." replied Remy. "I killed 'im myself back in N'orleans, and then he was brought back to life and killed by his father."

"It seems he has risen again, in that case. The fifth vision was of myself, fighting a psychic illusionist I thought dead as well." said Kyros.

"And who was in the last vision?" asked Sara.

"The final vision…" the blind warrior trailed. "Was of you and Matthias. He was fighting another like him, but an old man."

"That's impossible." Sara shot back. "That man is not only dead, but his spirit is trapped in the pits of Hades!"

"I don't know how these people have returned," the mage finished. "But we must find a way to stop them before these futures come to pass. Something will happen soon, for while I was inside the ninja's mind I heard a voice say to him 'They are coming for you and your allies, and they will not stop until you are destroyed.'"

"So what do we do now, Kyros?" asked Cloud, still shocked from the new of his returned enemy.

"For now, I think it would be best if-" Kyros was cut off by a loud crash from the medical wing of the training area.

All at once, the six were on the move, rushing to see what had happened, fearing the worst. They knew that Matthias had enemies, and they knew that at the moment he was powerless to defend against them. They had made sure he would be protected, but with the news of the visions, they feared it hadn't been enough.

When they reached the medical wing, nurses and staff did their best to get out of the way, but the Smashers were relentless on helping their ally.

Cloud and Remy were the first to reach Matthias' room. As they came near they slowed to a trot; the door to his room had been thrown into the wall and damage had been done to the surrounding area, the guards that had been posted were lying dead nearby. The two ran in, and saw a strange shadow hovering over the ninja's unconscious body.

The cloud seemed to turn, and yellow eyes appeared, staring for a moment at the two challengers. The eyes shifted down towards Matthias, and then back at the mutant and mage. Slowly, the dark form shifted and transformed until a warrior in black armor dropped out and landed in a crouched position.

Gambit was the first to act. He rushed forward with his white staff in hand, but his attack was met. The shadow warrior dissipated as Remy charged through, and then rematerialized behind him, facing him. The shadow hit Remy with a blast of energy that sent him through the wall and into the Stadium on the other side.

Kyros then rushed in, Cloud now at his side. The blind mage placed the tip of his swords on the ground and flipped forward, bringing his heels down through where his target should have been. Quick as the air it was made from, it appeared on top of Matthias' bed. Kyros again jumped up to kick, placing his weight on the blades, but once again the shadow had moved.

Cloud tried to follow the movement, but it was impossible. In one moment the shadow was there, and in a puff of smoke it was gone. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out a small green orb and touched it to his weapon. The magic orb, called material, was absorbed into the sword and waited to see where it would be next. When it gave him a target, he pointed his sword at it.

"Stop!"

A set of roman numerals, as if to signify a timer appeared like a belt around the shadow. Frozen in place, it could only watch as Kyros jumped again and used his momentum to swing the large blades at it, slicing it through the middle with both weapons. The blades cut through the shadow, and the pieces feel to the floor, dissipating in smoke.

At that moment, the others had made it to what remained of the doorway and Remy started back through the hole.

Cloud put his hand on the smooth edge of his sword as the green Time Materia fell out.

"Any idea what that was?" he asked Kyros. Sara ran in to Matthias' bedside to make sure he was alright.

"Whatever it was, it wasn't trying to kill anyone." Kyros said. "It had the perfect opportunity to end Matthias' life, but it didn't."

"Here's something!" Sara said, finding a note near her lover's bed. She rose and waited for everyone to enter the room, and then read it aloud.

"_I am but a messenger. My master's entrance to this situation will mean your death. You had better prepare yourselves. They are coming."_

"I know this seems to be an old question, but what do we do now?" asked Samus.

"I don' know, but I'm gonna head home to find out was' goin' on." Remy said as he brushed the dirt and dust from his trench coat.

"You should wait for Matthias to wake up." Sara replied. "We're from Earth too, and we know someone who might be able to help."

"Very well." Kyros cut in. "I propose we divide in two teams. The first team will be here and wait for Matthias, and the second will head out as soon as possible. The first team should be Remy and Link. Remy is from a world Matthias is familiar with, and being a smaller team it would be wise for Link to stay behind."

"I can get ahold of someone who can give us transportation back to my homeworld." Cloud suggested. "And when we get there we can get some more help in battle. And if Sephiroth's back, we're going to need it.

"What about Super Smash Brothers?" asked Link.

"The competition can wait. They aren't going to try and stop us, they couldn't anyway. There are other fighters they can schedule, but with an attack like this they wouldn't put them at risk anyway." Kyros replied.

In silent agreement, the Smashers turned and left the room. Sara stayed back with Matthias, stroking his hand worriedly. Slowly, she could feel the Spirit Staff's energy, as if it were trying to pull itself to the ninja. A deep glow started, and steadily grew.

Hesitantly, Sara moved the Staff closer to Matthias, and suddenly his hand shot out and grabbed ahold of the weapon. The power of the red light intensified, and Sara watched as the birthmark on his scarred chest began to glow the same as the weapon.

Taking this as a sign that he would return shortly, Sara exhaled and left the room, knowing that he would be alright.


End file.
